ACRO (African Clinical Research Organisation) is the first South African, full-service, black economic empowerment, contract research organisation. We offer services both in Southern Africa and in other African regions. ACRO is a private company, launched in August 2007. The company was set up through collaboration between LIFElab, the commercial arm of the East Coast Biotechnology Innovation Centre, now incorporated into the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) (a 3a Public Entity of the South African Government’s Department of Science and Technology), and Batswadi Pharmaceuticals, a black-empowered company with a focus on biotechnology. We offer services to donor-funded organisations, non governmental organisations, research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and government institutions, and work both within and outside the biotechnology sector. We are active across a broad range of clinical areas; an important aim of our organisation is to help improve the care of those affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases prevalent in African populations. ACRO is committed to capacity building across the African region, and has formed strategic development partnerships with a solid base in South Africa and an African emphasis. One of our goals is to foster research through assisting local innovators realise the potential of discoveries that might otherwise never reach the clinic or the market. ACRO employees have experience working in multinational environments and clients are guaranteed that their trials will be conducted to international standards, while our base in South Africa allows competitive local costing. ACRO is ideally placed to "transform ideas into solutions". For more information, please visit our website, www.acro.co.za.